The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-08-18

Interesting Developments Regarding
the Construction of the Dam.
What the Brown Brothers Charge
and What the Council Find.
Engineer MiIIiken and Superintsnd-
emf TytherIigh Both Resign.
Mr- Richard Strout Takes the Place
of the City Engineer.
Much of the Work Not Done Accord
Much of the Work Not Done Accord
ing to the Specifications,
And a Portion oft Will Have to be
Torn Down and Rebuilt.

About the first of August the follow
ing protest was placed before the city
council, and after a thorough dis
cussion special committee consisting
of Councilmen McCown, Spencer and
Phillips was appointed to look into the
matter and report at the next session
of that body. This committee, after
investigating were unable to agree on
a unanimous report, and therefore
asked the council on Monday last to go
in body out to the dam and investi-
gate affairs in committee of the whole.
This they did on yesterday morning,
and a portion of the result will be
found in the proceedings of a special
meeting held last night, when Engi-
neer Milliken resigned and Councilman
Tytherleigh also resigned his position
of superintendent of the dam.
The following is the protest spoken
of:
EMPORIA, Kan, Aug. l, 1887.
To the Mayor and City Council:
GENTLEMEN-We, the undersigned,
contractors, citizens and taxpayers of
Emporia, do hereby protest against the
payment of any city money to David
Gabriel, contractor, on account of work
on the waterworks dam, for the rea-
Sons that the work done and material
used by him is not in any particular in
accordance with the plans and speciii-
cations for said work; and the work
done and material used by him is very
defective and cheap, not costing half
what the contract work would have
cost, and is wanting in every essential
point required to make good and sub
stantial dam, like the one called for in
the plans and specifications for this
one.
We also hear it rumOred that Mr..
Tytherleigh is interested with Mr.. Ga
briel in this work, and that Mr.. Tyth-
erleigh alone is making the estimates,
and not the engineer, which estimates
are sometimes too large, the facts of
which we would earnestly request you
to investigate.
Yours respectfully,
N. s. N. BROWN.
MAYOR WEAVER INTERVIEWED.
A News representative wishing to
obtain all the facts possible in the case,
called on Mayor Weaver at his store
and interrogated him on the subject.
The mayor said thorough investi-
cation had as yet not been made; that
full statement would be made to the
city council just as soon as possible,
which of course would be given to the
public. He also stated that, from the
investigation so far made, there could
be no doubt that much of the work on
the dam had not been done according
to contract, and considerable of it
would have to be torn down and built
over. Work in the meantime has been
suspended and will only be resumed at
the order of the committee, who will
be guided in their action by the new
city engineer, Mr.. Richard Strout, who,
it is claimed. is thoroughly compe-
tent man. The work on the reservoir,
which has been under the superinten-
dence of Mr.. COrbett, is pronounced to
be done in excellent form, and Mr..
Strout is well satisfied with it.
COUNCILMAN SPENCER.
MI. Spencer was met and asked to
give any information on the subject.
He stated that there could be no doubt
that much of the work was not accord
ing to specifications. at one place in
the dam which should have been solid
masonry, a stick was thrust in to hole
to the depth of at least three and one
half feet. In another place, where the
specifications called for joints of not
greater space than One-half inch, were
found joints varying in width all the
% ,I,nk
was required. In other places, which
should have been solid stone. were
nothing but small pieces. The rock,
also, in many places, was not accord
ing to requirements, either as to size or
shape. Mr.. Spencer said he did not
wish to lay the blame on any person in
particular, but thought that when a
person was paid good wages to attend
to work, it ought to be done rightly.
COUNCILMAN MCCowN.
Mr.. McCOwn, in a conversation this
forenoon, practically corroborated the
above statements, and said that the
matter was still under investigation
and that it would be thoroughly ven
tilated and the blame laid just where it
belonged. He also said that the work
would not be materially retarded by
these developments, unless it was found
to be worse than it now looked, but that
in any case the committee would see to
it that it was all done according to con-
tract. On being asked as to whether
the city would lose anything by the
poor work, Mr.. McCown said, mo,
nothing, excepting the money paid out
for poor superintending.'
COUNCILMAN HYDE
said he could see no excuse for the man
ner in which some of the work had been
done, and felt real grieved to think that
their confidence had been betrayed, as
it undoubtedly had, inasmuch as in
some places where the committee in
vestigated ''there were holes that
coon could crawl into,'' where should
have been solid masonry. He also
stated that the language of nearly ev-
cry member of the council, when in
vestigating, was more forcible than
elegant, and that Mayor Weaver par
ticularly distinguished himself in utter
ances of disgust at the manner in
which the work had been done. In
some places, Mr.. Hyde said, there were
small pieces of stones, and even loose
sand, instead Of solid masonry.
OTHER CoUNCLMEN.
An endeavor was made to see several
other of the councilmen and interview
them on the subject, but some were
out of the city on business, some out
looking for the pay car, and one fMr.
James Smith) laid up for repairs, hav-
ing badly injured his foot by sprain
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